Sociology and social

anthropology
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aB5kSaE38A
 Sociology
• Sociology is the systematic and scientific study of the human being in society.
Sociology is the social studies of reality in all its shapes and forms: phenomena,
relationships, structures, systems, attitudes and social behaviors.

• Some of the leading exponents of sociology are Auguste Comte, Herbert Spencer,
Emile Durkheim, Max Weber, Karl Marx and Pierre Bourdieu. It is important to
mention that Auguste Comte is considered the pioneer of social studies.
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32KG_ba_NJc
 Objetct of study
• The object of study of sociology is society. It analyzes what happens in groups,
associations or institutions in a particular time and place. Sociology can also be
seen as the cause and effect of social relations between individuals and between
these and social groups, as well as customs and institutions that emerge from these
relationships and the effect of these groups and organizations.
• Some concepts used in sociology are: social class, social group, role, association
and community.
 Methods
• Positive or descriptive. It is the method used by Comte, it argued that society should
study like sciences. Its main focus would be empirical observation, but as a science and
scientific method, it would formulate laws for the organization of society.
• Comparative or indirectly experimental. Used by Durkheim, it proposes that
sociology more than the study of isolated facts must be comparative. This method
makes comparisons between various groups and social phenomena in order to discover
the differences and similarities. This sociological method is considered the best
instrument, since it is only one aspect of a method common to all experimental
sciences.
• Historical materialism. Method used by Marx that proposed the study of society
through class struggle culminating in communism.
• Structural functionalist. Method used by Parsons and Merton that is based on positive
and negative functions of social structures.
• Pure or ideal. It is the method used by Weber, the methodology of the
social sciences must be different from that of natural sciences. Proposes
an ideal type that accentuated the most typical features of a historical
phenomenon to see it more clearly.
• Ideal categories are hypothetically specific individuals (individuals, social
situations, changes, revolutions, institutions, classes), made with the most
important elements of the researcher to perform accurate comparisons. It
is important to note that ideal categories are not concrete or abstract, but
hypothetical individuals, selected aspects that can occur in reality are
composed. Mental creations are called ideal because they exist as an idea.
 Anthropology
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5aglbgTEig

• The word anthropology comes from the Greek anthropos that means “man”
and logos that means “study”. It is the science that studies human behavior in
the social character; it studies individual cultures in a society. Anthropologists
make special emphasis on language, kinship patterns, and cultural artifacts.
Additionally it studies the evolution of humanity along with their cultural
manifestations.
• Some recognized anthropologists are: Thomas Bendyshe, Gustav Klemm,
Lewis Henry Morgan, Edward Taylor, Bronislaw Malinowski and Claude Lévi-
Strauss.
 Object of study
• The object of study of anthropology is the human being in society as a
creator of culture. Some of the concepts used in anthropology are:
artifacts, tools, political and social organization, religion, genetics,
multiculturalism, and technics of work division.
• Anthropologists have divided anthropology into two branches:
• A) Phsyical anthropology (Anthropometry, Human genetics,
Paleonthology).
• B) Sociocultural anthropology (Lingustics, Etnography, Social
anthropology, arqueology ).
 Methods
• The methods used by anthropology are mainly focused in the field of work. It uses direct
observation, surveys, newspapers, maps, photographs and recordings. The main methods are:
• Historic-logical: was developed in the XX century, its premise was to use archaeological data
to construct timelines of important events and cultural changes in the past.
• Social and cultural research: the human being is seen within a community or social system.
The anthropologist is part of the life of the community and conducts routine observations
every day.
• Comparative: seeks to discover processes that lead to the development of certain customs.